Not too taxing

toilet, from its origin as a small outhouse, it does not logically follow that “Tigh Mor” (“big house”) would have the same meaning. It does translate, however, as “Mansion House”.

Of course, I realise that Mr Hogg is attempting humour here, the joke being that in the “Big House” (The Scottish Parliament) much more ordure is produced than in “The Little House” which is, of course, a toilet.

If I may offer him two comments, firstly, as I have learned to my cost, it is almost impossible to translate humour into a language other than one’s own. Indeed, the more ignorant you are of that language the harder it becomes(e.g. “mor” and “mhor”).

Secondly, if you have to explain a joke to the listener/ reader then it is a bad joke, but if the listener/reader has to explain to the teller why it is such a bad joke then it is a really terrible one!

More positively, I encourage Douglas Hogg (and all the other users of the random Gaelic H) to attend beginners Gaelic classes, which are widely available and usually good fun, as well as enlightening.

ALAN MACINTYRE Barcaldine, Oban, Argyll I read Brian Ferguson’s article on the idea of a tourist tax with interest (Perspective, 8 January). Anyone who holidays throughout Europe, from the largest city to the smallest village, is likely to pay some form of tourist tax and is usually a negligible amount compared to any hotel bill.

In these days of cutbacks for local authorities, what is wrong with asking tourists to contribute a very small sum to the upkeep of the city?

I cannot believe that the hospitality sector has so little faith in the attractions of Edinburgh that it believes that a very small, tourism levy would decimate the numbers of foreign visitors.

When you are already paying hundreds of pounds for a hotel room, why would anyone quibble over a few pounds extra?

Does Brian Ferguson refuse to go on holiday to places that have a tourist tax, or does he merely accept that it is part of the deal?

Answers on a postcard, please.